Aubergine, Courgette & Chickpea Casserole with Feta
Hearty aubergine, courgette and chickpea casserole topped with feta and olives — rustic, oven-baked comfort for weeknights or a relaxed supper.
This oven-baked casserole is proper, unfussy comfort—roasted aubergine and courgette folded into a rich tomato and chickpea sauce, finished with salty feta and black olives. It’s brilliant for a midweek supper because most of the work is gentle frying before the oven takes over.
Make it when you want something warming, meat-free and reliably tasty. It scales well and the flavours actually improve if you make it a day ahead and reheat.
Ingredients
- 1 aubergine — large (about 400 g), sliced into 1 cm rounds
- 5 ml salt — plus extra to taste
- 2 courgette — medium (about 300 g), halved lengthways and sliced
- 1 brown onion — large (about 150 g), finely sliced
- 3 garlic cloves — crushed
- 45 ml olive oil
- 400 g tinned tomatoes — plum or chopped
- 15 ml tomato purée
- 400 g tinned chickpeas — drain and rinse (approx drained weight 240 g)
- 250 ml vegetable stock — hot
- 5 ml dried oregano
- 5 ml smoked paprika — optional — adds a smoky warmth
- 5 ml sugar — balances acidity
- 50 g black olives, pitted — halved
- 150 g feta — crumbled
- 15 ml lemon juice — about 1 tbsp
- freshly ground black pepper — to taste
- 15 g fresh parsley — roughly chopped, to garnish
Equipment
- ovenproof casserole dish
- colander
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C conventional. Line a plate with kitchen paper.
Lay the aubergine slices on the kitchen paper, sprinkle both sides with half the salt and leave for 15 minutes to draw out excess moisture.
While the aubergine is resting, prepare the remaining veg: slice the courgette, finely slice the brown onion and crush the garlic cloves. Rinse and drain the tinned chickpeas.
Pat the aubergine slices dry with fresh kitchen paper and season lightly with a little of the remaining salt.
Heat 25 ml olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the brown onion and a pinch of salt and sauté until softened and translucent, about 6–8 minutes.
Add the aubergine and courgette to the pan with the remaining olive oil and fry, turning occasionally, until the veg is golden and starting to soften, about 10 minutes.
Stir in the garlic cloves and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Pour in the tinned tomatoes and add the tomato purée, tinned chickpeas, vegetable stock, dried oregano, smoked paprika, sugar and freshly ground black pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 10 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.
Transfer the mixture to an ovenproof casserole dish. Scatter the black olives over the top, crumble the feta evenly and drizzle over the lemon juice.
Bake in the preheated oven for 25–30 minutes until bubbling and the feta has a little colour. Remove and rest for 5 minutes.
Scatter over the fresh parsley, finish with a twist of freshly ground black pepper and serve straight from the dish.
Tips
- Salting and resting the aubergine is key — blot it thoroughly with kitchen paper so the dish isn’t watery.
- Use a hot frying pan and don’t crowd the veg; good colour gives sweeter, deeper flavours.
- Make ahead: assemble and chill up to 24 hours, then bring to room temperature and bake for 30–35 minutes.
- To reheat, cover with foil and warm at 160°C fan for 15–20 minutes, or microwave portions for 2–3 minutes.
- If you prefer less tang, swap the lemon juice for a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil just before serving.
Substitutions
feta → crumbled goat's cheese (same quantity)
Stays closetinned chickpeas → tinned cannellini beans (same quantity)
Stays closesmoked paprika → a pinch of chilli flakes
Noticeably differenttinned tomatoes → 700 g ripe fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped (summer)
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 406
- Calories
- 14 g
- Protein
- 33 g
- Carbs
- 23 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 8 g
- Sugar
- 850 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make this vegan?
Yes—replace the feta with a dairy-free ricotta or omit it and add toasted nuts or seeds for texture; the dish remains delicious but will taste less briny.
How do I stop the casserole being watery?
Salt and rest the aubergine, blot it dry, avoid overcrowding when frying, and simmer the sauce long enough to reduce before baking.
Can I freeze it?
Freeze the cooled casserole (before adding feta) for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge and bake for 30–35 minutes until piping hot; add fresh feta after reheating.
Is this gluten-free?
Yes — as written this recipe is gluten-free, but always check labels on store-bought stock, tomato purée and olives to be certain.
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